Shah sounds poll bugle, pledges to make Tripura model state

Agartala: Setting the slogan of 'Chalo Paltai', Bharatiya Janata Party national president Amit Shah ushered for a 'model state Tripura' on Sunday during his two-day poll campaigning here.

Taking a dig to the incumbent Left regime, Shah also claimed that the party cadres have been looting the State by pocketing the public funds. "The government of 'lal bhai' and its cadres have looted Tripura for 25 years in the name of development. The BJP government is bound to come and it would not be merely a change of MLAs or government but will usher in its transformation," said BJP chief, while addressing a public rally in Mohanpur of western part of the poll-bound state following a 8 kms long roadshow from Bamotia.

He also said earlier the situation in North Eastern states were tougher but like Assam and Manipur, in Tripura also the saffron party will manage a win-able verdict. "The amount of support from the people of Tripura shows that no one can bar BJP in forming the government," he asserted.

Shah also made a host of promises in his two-day poll campaign, including smartphones for youths, implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission for government employees from the next day of his party being voted to power, free education for a girl child till her graduation, 24x7 electricity, drinking water supply, more investments, empowering youths and stringent actions against chit fund scam accused. "For BJP 'change' denotes change in the socio-economic structure. Where PM Modi fixed the minimum pay scale of Rs. 340, Tripura is still stuck to Rs. 170. The Left government was made in the name of the poor but poverty increased in its 25 years of rule and the number of unemployed youths rose to 7.33 lakh from 25,000 during the period," Shah also mentioned.

Making a scathing attack on Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, he reeled out the names of a number of central schemes and claimed that it had released Rs 25,396 crore to Tripura under the 14th finance commission against Rs 7,283 crore it had got under the 13th finance commission. "Where has this extra Rs. 18,000 crore gone? It has gone into pockets of Communist cadres. I dare Sarkar to give an account of this money in his public meeting," BJP chief further avouched.

Shah, who is also known for his poll engineering, claimed that Congress party has been transferring votes for CPI-M.

Denying all the claims by the Left top brass that BJP would divide the state of Tripura with the help of IPFT, BJP national president also promised that the state will remain 'undivided'.

There were public meetings and two roadshows of Shah on the first day and it witnessed a huge gathering of people and their support. Around 2,000 bikes were in the roadshows, a party leader mentioned. Apart from that 43,000 'panna pramukhs' have been appointed for the impending elections.

Other BJP senior leaders, Union Ministers, and State Chief Ministers are also holding public meetings and door-to-door campaigns in various part of the state.

Union Ministers Arun Jaitley and Nitin Gadkari, senior party leaders Shehnawaz Hussain and Roopa Ganguly also visited the state on Sunday.

In the morning Union Finance Minister and BJP veteran Arun Jaitley released the 'Vision Document' for the Assembly elections and after that he also told media here that people in the state are upset with the 25 years long Left regime and this time they will definitely choose to hold Bharatiya Janata Party's hand.

On Monday morning, Shah will address mediapersons and then will hold a public rally in Takarjala where ally party IPFT president NC Debbarma is contesting the Assembly election from and the tribal party is also hopping to make a mark. BJP is contesting in 51 seats and the IPFT has fielded its candidates from nine constituencies reserved for tribal people.

During the afternoon Shah will hold another two public meetings in Raima Vally and in Khowai.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will also address a public rally in Tripura on the same day as 14 per cent voters (Nath and Debnath) belong to Yogi-Nath community.

Meanwhile, Shah has also urged the voters to call atleast 30 relatives and friends to request them to vote for the 'Lotus' symbol like Gujarat Assembly elections. The Assembly elections is scheduled on February 18 and the result will be out on March 3.w